T.V. Tokenism: Suits

I have seen every episode of this one season old show, and it does follow this sort of pattern where Harvey Spector (smooth legal closer) is always the center of attention, while Jessica Pearson (Managing Partner / T.V. Token) is just off to the side. Another thing I found interesting was the character profile for Jessica Pearson on the USA Network web page for "Suits". It states that, "Her name didn't get on the firm  Pearson Harden because she is soft". Well, if she is so tough then why does she seem so insignificant and passive in this scene? Similar to Mr. Bolos's "Flashforward" example, Jessica Pearson is the "Minority Authority" that is in charge yet never in the center of attention.

Colorful Advertising

    As our American Studies class moves further into the topic of media and advertising I found myself intrigued by certain trends within this area. Mr. O'Connor mentioned in class the other day the irony behind BP's (British Petroleum) logo and how they advertise themselves as being a "green" and an environmentally safe company. Besides the catastrophic oil spill they caused in 2006 and the fact that they are one of the worlds leading oil and energy suppliers, I guess you could scarcely make a connection between BP and the color green. To my surprise the next day while watching television I stumbled upon a commercial for the new healthy and "natural" sports drink Greater Than. What immediately caught my attention was the use of that same shade of green that BP utilized in their corporate logo. Green is often associated with the environment and a sort of natural aura, which is what both companies were aiming to display. Below is the BP logo and a short version of the Greater Than commercial.

    After doing some research I was able to find a very interesting case study done by students at Stanford that dealt with the association of colors and advertising. For example, in a case study regarding 

Alcohol advertisements these students found that different shades of black and blue were dominant in advertisements for clear liquors. The reason for this they concluded was that, "Blues evoke a cool, clean, smooth sensation that vodka companies may want to associate with their products". The cool, clean, and smooth drinkability are all traits that appeal to the senses and "evoke" or bring out certain moods and emotions. It is because of these familiar moods and emotions that these companies are able to target what appeals to the audience. This same idea can be seen with certain brands of beer. Rich shades of brown and amber are all colors that are associated with beer. The richness of the colors can be used to display a sort of dense and flavorful theme. Spread throughout are a few examples of hard liquor and beer advertisements, as well as the link to the Stanford case studies. http://www.stanford.edu/class/linguist34/Unit_13/colors.htm

What are some other strategies that advertisers use to make their products more appealing?

False Advertising?

      We had just finished discussing the working conditions for employees overseas, and also listening to Mr. Daisey's trip to the "Foxconn" Apple factory in China, when I saw this Droid Razr commercial on television. Before you watch it I would recommend first listening to the shortened version of Mr. Daisey's trip to the "Foxconn" factory here:http://anamericanstudies.posterous.com/mr-daisey-and-the-apple-factory-this-american.

       I am sure that I can speak on behalf of most students in the class that Mr. Daisey's narration of his trip to the Apple "Foxconn" factory truly struck a chord in all of us, and made us think. How are things changing? What are these companies doing to ensure their workers are safe? I was shocked by the conditions these people worked in, and also the fact that hardly any of them had even seen the finished product. This being said, I was disgusted to see this commercial for the new Droid Razr. Clearly staged in China as seen by the opening setting, a small child whispers into a sleek white man's ear. The irony of this opening scene really struck me as ridiculous, because after listening to a stunningly horrid and detailed description of a Chinese technology factory, to paint this false picture of where the phone comes from is absurd. Like action movies we know that this isn't where the phones come from, but it almost mocks how the phones are actually manufactured, and diverts viewers to an all to familiar action adventure. It is also interesting to think about the relationship between worker and consumer as depicted in the commercial, and the actual relationship in real life. In reality the consumer is oblivious to the conditions of the factory and the worker has not even expirienced the final product. In the video, it would seem that the small boy whispers important details about the phone to the consumer showing a close knit relationship.

    This type advertising is definitley not uncommon, especially with products relating to technology. These big mobile phone companies love to pitch the new sleek design and futaristic technology. What they also do in return is paint these false pictures of how the phones are made, and where they come from.

As seen on T.V.                                                                                      Reality









How are these phone companies supposed to advertise their phones if the reality of their origins disgust customers?
Does this fall under the title of false advertising?

Political Food Fights

     Generally, the first thing that pops in my head when I hear the term "food fight" is a massive chaotic outbreak of kids throwing food meaninglessly across the cafeteria. However, after reading an interesting npr article by a man named Kristofor Husted I have learned a new, more symbolic use for food. The article discusses the use of so called "food fights" in history to spread messages and protest government actions. This idea dates back to the late 1700's where a large group of American colonists dressed like Indians dumped 45 tons of the British Parliaments tea overboard three ships in the Boston Harbor. This was done to protest the taxes British Parliament was placing on colonists at the time due to debt and pre-revolutionary war tensions. This event, famously known as "The Boston Tea Party" was just one of many other "food fight" stunts to protest the government. The article references a very recent act where 500 tacos appeared in the mayor's office in East Haven, Connecticut, and no they were not for an annual banquet luncheon. According to Kristofor, "This truckload of tacos was meant to be a symbol of discontent". Kristofor accurately states the intended symbol for not only these tacos, but all dissenting actions involving food, is discontent. As it turns out, these tacos were sent by an immigration reform group in response to a racist comment by Mayor Joseph Maturo referencing Latinos and tacos. These rebellious protests involving tacos, along with tea, pie, and even eggs, are fueled by the discontent and demand for change. The freedom to protest peacefully in America gives way to very elaborate and meaningful actions that spread strong messages, If not through food, then other rebellious actions as well.


     
     Another very recent act of protest involves Wikipedia's "Blackout" in response to the SOPA(Stop Online Privacy Act) and PIPA(Protect IP Act) acts. In a nutshell if passed, theses acts would limit and monitor what is expressed on the world wide web. As a result, internet companies like Reddit will not continue to run.


What are some other types of "unique" protests?
What are some positive and negative impacts of a so called "food fight" against government?

Meta-Blog Post

   When I was first introduced to the idea of blogging back in September I was a little skeptical towards the benefits of writing posts. After reading through my blogs I now see why it is worth it to write posts and read/comment on other peoples as well. The point of blogging is to connect your interests and ideas to American themes both inside and outside of class. It is to get your ideas out and also comment on others. The point of blogging is not to blog because you have to for class to get a good grade, it is simply a way to look at your interests through different lenses. The first thing I noticed after rereading earlier posts is how much my posts have improved over time. I think a big reason why is similar to trying anything for the first time, you just don't know how to approach it. Some of my early posts like if you ain't first you're last touch on very broad American themes like speed in this case, and also provide a claim with no evidence to support it like articles, videos, and quotes. One aspect of writing pieces like blogs I have learned this year is to tie claims to evidence, and most importantly analyzing that evidence. This is something I did not fully understand till the second quarter in early November. My first quarter blog posts consisted of broad claims with a lack of evidence. After gaining a better understanding of what makes an effective blog post through reading other's posts and Mr. Bolos and Mr. O'Connor's, I started to produce more well done blogs. In my blog entitled Islamaphobia, I crafted the post around a video from a documentary I saw on American views of Islamic practice in the United States 10 years after 9/11. I started my blog with a quote from the video (a tactic I learned Mr. O'Connor's Troy Davis post) and analyzed language from another quote as well. The use of evidence to back up your claim is one "golden rule" of blogging I have learned, and helps give merit to my claims.

    A common theme I have noticed in many of my blogs in the past few months is education (college in particular). I think this is due to the fact that I am a junior and it is something that is now always on my mind. It has always fascinated me the difference between New Trier and other schools, and also the difference among colleges. I also think that because it is a topic that I am interested in, they are some of my most well done blogs. I touched on specific themes like how college rankings effect New Trier students college search, the divide between wealthy and poor school districts and the causes behind it, and more recently how musicians have made an impact on education. An aspect of my blogs I can definitely improve on would be including more than just one piece of evidence linking to my claim, and also asking more in depth questions. An example of this would from my blog U.S. News College Rankings Make Life Simple? Where I ask a closing question, "Could [the list] be of some use to the confused college bound student?". This question is a yes no question and does not give the reader much to think about. I could have rephrased it as,"In what ways could this list be of some use to college bound students? Overall I think my blogs have improved since the start of the semester, and after analyzing them I have become aware of some things I need to change and add.
  

'Amplifying Education' Through Music

    Similar to Mr. O'Connor's blog post on Pete Seger and how his music has influenced change in the world, one of my favorite bands, Dispatch, has worked on various projects outside of music to help change the world as well. Lead guitarist and vocals, Chad Stokes, has worked with both Dispatch and another band, State Radio, on various works involving poverty in Sudan, helping the cause of Troy Davis, and most recently the "Amplifying Education" campaign with Teach for America. Below is an informational video with the band members from Dispatch discussing the details of their 2011"Amplifying Education" tour.

     

"It's channeled towards reading, mentoring, and tutoring"- Chad Stokes

"Spending time is way more valuable then spending money"- Brad Corrigan

      The two quotes above are what I found most important regarding their involvement with "Amplifying Education". It is one thing to donate money to an organization, but to contribute your time and energy is truly significant. One thing that sets Dispatch apart from other groups contributing to efforts like this, is that these groups are more fed up with the cash flow then they are sacrificing their time and labor. This sets a strong example for fans to get involved physically too by mentoring, tutoring, and reading to kids. 

      Music has served as a strong hub for raising money, awareness, and time for various organizations and efforts. Musicians like Pete Seger, Bono, and Chad Stokes have gained significant followers because of their ability to produce good music, and show humility through supporting important causes.  What other ways besides music are effective in getting people involved not only financially but physically as well?

What other musicians have helped change the world?

Racist Math

      While flipping through the interesting and unique Yahoo news articles I stumbled across one that both shocked and disturbed me. It was about a third graders homework from a small town in Georgia that not only taught students math, but "social studies" as well. An idea that sounds harmless initially, but how corrupt it turned out to be. One question asked, "If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week?". This homework assignment tried to incorporate the idea of Slavery into math. After recently completing Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass I have become familiar with the brutal hardships many slaves endure in their lives. Therefore, a simple math problem like this that is designed to "educate" students on slavery really disturbs me. Not only are the students too young to really understand the perils of slavery, but to casually bring it up in this way is absurd. According to an ABC article I read on the issue another question regarded how much cotton Frederick picked. An angry Parent commented on the issue saying, "Something like that shouldn't be imbedded into a kid of the third, fourth, fifth, or any grade". While I agree that these students are too young at this age I believe that at some point, during either middle school or junior high, students should be introduced to the history of slavery. Clearly this homework assignment was unacceptable, but it made me think about the cross-curricular activities we are susceptible to at New Trier High School.

      Cross-curricular simply refers to a combination of academic subjects through either a class or activity. At our school we have many examples of this such as American Studies, Literature and Film, Sports medicine, and many more. Part of what makes these cross-curricular combinations so effective is that it forces students to  think of subjects in different ways, and also gives students the opportunity to express their ideas in different ways. For instance in our American Studies class we were able to take the idea of storytelling, and then think about how history is told through textbooks, the changes and recreations of a story to stress certain points, and even created an oral history essay through conducted interviews. This being said, the idea behind this homework assignment was not necessarily a bad idea, but the way they executed it turned out to be a nightmare.

Is there any way to really incorporate Social Studies and Math?
What other positives and negatives are there to cross-curricular activities?